3D Printed Vase Promotes Plastic Bottle Recycling

Upcyle a plastic water bottle into a home for your flowers, using an elegant 3D printed vase by designer Libero Rutilo.

Saving the planet may seem like an insurmountable task, but it’s the little things which can make all the difference. One idea is to reuse old water bottles by putting flowers in them — and wrapping the whole package in a 3D printed vase.

Libero Rutilo is a Milan based designer who has found a way to use empty plastic bottles in a beautiful way. The idea is actually really simple — he uses 3D printed covers to transform ordinary bottles into display-worthy vases.

The way this works is by using a special top that screws onto most standard water bottles up to 500ml in size, just like a regular bottle cap.

A nice touch to the vase is the fact that you’re still able to see the water bottle within thanks to the mesh shell effect which makes this project an interesting way to use new plastic to recycle old.

The idea was released by Rutilo’s company DesignLibero, and this impressive series features four gorgeous designs which include; “Lace Vase,” “Knitted Vase,” “Sinuous Vase,” and “Spider Vase.”

Where can you buy a 3D Printed Vase?

If you’re interested in purchasing one for yourself, then head over to Make It LEO. Customers can buy the files to fabricate their own, or have the model sent to a 3D printing service to have it made for them.

But the whole concept of the vase does raise a question — if finding a new use for an old plastic bottle is partly offsetting its environmental impact, doesn’t 3D printing more plastic to make the vase only negate the benefit?

We reckon if the project achieves its goal of making consumers think about better ways to upcycle products (instead of simply throwing them away), then it could make a significant contribution to the greater good.

What do you think about these designs? Will a 3D printed vase help save the planet? Let us know in the comments.